How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 186 The Wedding Night, the Iron Cavalry Traverses the Camp

The East Warm Pavilion of the Kunning Palace in the Forbidden City.

Empress Zhou, dressed in her everyday clothes, sat regally in the main seat. Consort Tian and Consort Yuan sat on either side below her, while Consort Liu, Liu Yueying, sat on an embroidered stool further down the seat.

Emperor Chongzhen sat beside Empress Zhou, his expression more relaxed than usual, his gaze occasionally drifting towards the doorway.

Empress Zhou asked softly, "Your Majesty, shouldn't the newlyweds have arrived by now?"

"Yes, it should be soon." Chongzhen nodded.

Before the words were even finished, the curtain of the warm pavilion was lifted. The female official who led the way entered first, stepping aside to let her pass. Yang Yujiao lowered her head and walked into the pavilion with somewhat unsteady palace steps.

She wore a newly bestowed scarlet palace dress, her hair styled in an elaborate updo adorned with simple pearl flowers. This attire made her complexion look excellent, but her straight back and slightly restrained movements still revealed a capable air that set her apart from ordinary young ladies.

She walked to the throne and, following the etiquette repeatedly taught by the female officials, knelt down deeply to pay her respects. Her voice was clear and crisp, with a slight Zhejiang accent: "This commoner, Yang Yujiao, greets Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress. I also greet Consort Tian, ​​Consort Yuan, and Consort Liu."

Empress Zhou looked at her closely, a gentle smile on her face: "Get up, raise your head and let me see you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress." Yang Yujiao stood up, raised her head slightly, but her gaze remained respectfully lowered.

"Yes, she's a fine child. The journey north must have been tiring, right?" Empress Zhou nodded, her tone kind and gentle, trying her best to act like an older sister—in fact, she was a year or two younger than Yang Yujiao!
"Your Majesty, it's no trouble at all," Yang Yujiao replied hastily.

Consort Tian covered her mouth with a round fan, her eyes sparkling, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, look at this girl's figure. She looks so strong and energetic, unlike us, who look like we'd be blown away by the wind."

Empress Zhou glanced at Consort Tian, ​​her tone still gentle: "It's a blessing to be healthy. I heard you've been sailing with your father and brothers since you were young, and you also practice martial arts?"

"Yes, Your Highness." Yang Yujiao's eyes brightened at the mention of this. "My father said that the sea is not safe, and it would be good for a woman to have some self-defense skills, so I asked my master to teach me some martial arts."

Emperor Chongzhen then spoke, his tone approving: "The Empress is right. Good health is a duty. In these turbulent times, it is not a bad thing for women to be strong. The Yang family has been sailing the seas for many years and has extensive knowledge; they are also pillars of the nation."

His words both affirmed Yang Yujiao and elevated the status of the Yang family.

Empress Zhou understood and said, "Your Majesty is right. Now that you have entered the palace, you are family. You must learn the rules carefully, abide by your duties, and serve Your Majesty wholeheartedly."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will remember your teachings," Yang Yujiao replied respectfully.

Liu Yueying chimed in with a smile, "If you're new here, Sister Yang, and have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime."

Yang Yujiao looked at Liu Yueying gratefully: "Thank you, Madam Liu."

After asking a few more simple questions about the sea and everyday life, Empress Zhou noticed that Yang Yujiao looked a little tired, so she considerately said to Chongzhen, "Your Majesty, the newlyweds have had a long journey and have already paid their respects today. Let Sister Yueying take her back to Yonghe Palace to settle down first."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded: "The Empress shall make the arrangements."

Liu Yueying stood up and beckoned to Yang Yujiao. Yang Yujiao bowed again to the Emperor, Empress, and other concubines, then withdrew.

Emperor Chongzhen sat for a while longer, exchanged a few words with the Empress, and then got up and left. He did not return to the Qianqing Palace, but instead strolled towards the Yonghe Palace.

The side hall of Yonghe Palace had already been tidied up. Newly cut red "double happiness" characters were pasted on the windows, and several kinds of pastries and a pair of dragon and phoenix wedding candles as thick as a child's arm were placed on the table, casting a dim yellow light throughout the room.

With a wave of his hand, Emperor Chongzhen dismissed the palace attendants and carefully closed the palace door.

The hall fell silent instantly, save for the soft popping of the candle wicks. Yang Yujiao stood a few steps away from the table, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her dress, her heart pounding. Although she had known this day would come, when the moment had arrived—a lone man and woman, a red candle burning brightly—facing the young emperor, she was still so nervous that her whole body stiffened, and even her breathing became shallow.

Emperor Chongzhen walked over and saw the beautiful woman under the lamp looking flustered. His tone was more casual than when he was in Kunning Palace: "No need for formalities. There are no outsiders here. Sit down and let's talk."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Yang Yujiao did as she was told, carefully sitting halfway on the embroidered stool, her head still bowed and her neck taut.

"How long did it take you to travel all the way from Zhejiang?" Chongzhen took a few steps and started a conversation.

"Your Majesty, we traveled by water, then by cargo ship, and then by carriage. It took more than a month to get here," Yang Yujiao answered honestly, her voice a little tense.

"Are the seas rough? Are you afraid?" Emperor Chongzhen strolled to the window, gazing at the dark sky outside, and asked casually.

Mentioning the sea, Yang Yujiao relaxed a bit: "I'm not afraid, I'm used to it. Sometimes the waves are higher than the boat, which looks scary, but if you steer steadily and the boat is sturdy, you can get through them." She got carried away and subconsciously raised her hand to gesture, then realized her mistake, quickly withdrew her hand, and blushed.

Emperor Chongzhen smiled slightly at her little gesture. He walked back to the table and sat down opposite her, an arm's length away, where he could see her trembling eyelashes and flushed ears. "I have never seen the sea. I have only heard people say it is boundless and its waves are surging." He sighed inwardly, knowing that he had seen it, three hundred years later.

"Yes, Your Majesty. The sea is vast, stretching to the horizon. When the sky is clear, it is as blue as a sapphire, and when the wind blows, it is gray and hazy, as if it can swallow everything." Yang Yujiao gradually forgot her nervousness, and her eyes revealed a longing for her past life at sea. "Sometimes I saw groups of dolphins swimming and leaping with the boat, which was a very beautiful sight."

"Dolphins?" Chongzhen showed interest. "I've only ever seen them in books. I heard your ships can go to the lands of the Dutch?"

“Yes, my father and brother often travel to Luzon, and sometimes even to Malacca. The barbarians have many ships and cannons…” Yang Yujiao started talking, describing the sea, goods, and exotic customs, her words becoming fluent and her face brightening.

Emperor Chongzhen listened quietly, occasionally asking a question. He discovered that this woman was not only beautiful, but also possessed a breadth of knowledge that far surpassed that of the women in the inner palace. Her words carried a fresh, sea-breezy quality, which seemed to dispel some of the weariness he had felt from days of governing.

Looking at that bright and vibrant face in the candlelight, her eyes gradually shining as she talked about familiar things, and her upright figure that even her palace attire couldn't conceal, the utilitarian thought of "fundraising" in his heart faded, replaced by genuine affection. Who wouldn't like such a youthful and energetic girl? He was now beginning to understand his Teacher Gao from his other life.
He suddenly reached out his right hand and gently covered her small, strong-looking hands that were resting on her knees.

Yang Yujiao trembled, her words abruptly cut off, and her face instantly flushed red. She instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Chongzhen used a little force to steady it.

"Your hands have calluses." Chongzhen's fingers traced the rough, thin calluses between her thumb and forefinger. "Did you get them from practicing martial arts, or from managing household chores?"

His fingertips seemed to carry an electric current, making Yang Yujiao's heart pound like a drum, her voice barely audible: "...something. When I was little, I was playful, climbing masts, practicing with sticks...and later I also took care of the ship's chores..."

Chongzhen chuckled softly, his fingertips still lingering on the calluses: "Very good. I don't like frail women." He paused, looking at her blushing cheeks, his voice lower: "Your brother sent you to the palace and offered you a large sum of money; he is loyal to the emperor and loves his country. I understand. From now on, settle down in the palace with peace of mind. I... will not mistreat you, nor will I mistreat the Yang family."

These words were a promise to her, and also to the Yang family.

Yang Yujiao looked up and met Chongzhen's gaze. His gaze held the majesty of an emperor, but also the admiration of a man for a woman. Her heart settled; most of her fear vanished, replaced by an indescribable anticipation.

She twitched her fingertips slightly, gently grasped Chongzhen's hand, and whispered, "This concubine... understands. Thank you, Your Majesty."

This word "concubine" signifies that she has truly begun to assume a new identity.

Seeing the interplay of tears in her eyes and her unique, heroic spirit, Chongzhen's heart stirred. He stood up and, in a gesture of shaking hands, pulled her up as well.

"It's getting late, let's rest." His voice deepened, filled with affection.

The red silk curtains were drawn, obscuring the flickering candlelight. The light inside became dim and ambiguous, isolating the two from the outside world.

Chongzhen first removed the pearl hairpin from her hair, letting her black hair fall loose. Then, his fingers deftly untied the ribbons of her elaborate palace dress, layer by layer, slowly and deliberately. Only when the outer robe was removed, revealing her slender figure wrapped in her inner garment, did Chongzhen's gaze gradually freeze.

Unlike Empress Zhou's plumpness or Consort Tian's gentle charm, Yang Yujiao's figure was somewhat similar to Liu Yueying's, but she was more well-proportioned and firm, with smooth lines in her shoulders and back, a slender yet resilient waist, and the outlines of her arms and legs were faintly visible under her thin inner garment, exuding a healthy beauty full of vitality brought about by long-term exercise.

His hand stroked her shoulder, and he could feel the firm texture of her skin, a vibrant energy.

Yang Yujiao kept her eyes tightly closed, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, her body trembling with nervous anticipation. But when Chongzhen's warm hand slipped inside her undergarment, her body went limp, and she gently leaned against her emperor, her husband.

The candlelight flickered red, and the atmosphere inside the tent grew increasingly warm and inviting.
At the same time, on the grasslands beyond the Great Wall.

The night was as black as if it had been splashed with thick ink, and the cold wind howled across the wilderness like a knife.

A silent procession was making its way through the night. There were about seventeen or eighteen hundred people, most of them wearing tattered fur coats or cotton robes, their faces and hands filthy, each with their heads down and necks hunched, looking exactly like slaves being escorted on a long journey. But beneath their tattered clothes, one could vaguely see thick, sturdy yellow cotton armor.

In the middle of the procession were a dozen or so large carts covered tightly with thick felt, their wheels deeply embedded in the grass, the mules and horses pulling them puffing out thick white puffs of smoke. Around them were several hundred men, dressed slightly better and riding horses, who seemed to be the escorting guards, but their hands were always on the hilts of their swords at their waists, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily, not daring to relax for a moment.

The leader, riding a seemingly thin but actually magnificent Mongolian horse, was none other than Prince Consort Yangguli, disguised as the "slave leader." His face was also smeared with ash, but his back was ramrod straight, and his eyes were like lightning, constantly observing the darkness ahead.

A dark figure slipped back from the front like a ghost; it was a scout sent out.

"Your Highness," the scout said in a low voice, barely containing his excitement, "less than ten miles ahead is the Khan's camp at Tiger Mound Rabbit. The camp is brightly lit and noisy, like a banquet is being held, and the defenses are lax! The night patrols are also sluggish!"

A cold glint flashed in Yanguli's eyes: "Good! This stupid wolf has indeed been fooled by the Khan's 'generous gift'."

He turned around and whispered an order to his son-in-law, Tong Yangxing, who was following closely behind him: "Have the artillery ready. Lift the cannon cover halfway and point the cannons at the direction of the Khan's tent! Check all the gunpowder cannons again!"

"Yes, sir!" Tong Yangxing replied in a low voice, and immediately turned around to pass on the order.

Yangguli then instructed the Niru Ejen beside him: "Pass down the order that everyone rest in place for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, carefully check their weapons, and do not make a sound or light a fire! After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, follow me and swagger towards their camp gate!"

The order was passed down silently. The marching column immediately halted, like a pack of wolves lurking in the night, instantly disappearing into the darkness. Only the occasional soft clanging of metal hinted at the impending carnage.

The soldiers silently drew their sharp swords from beneath their tattered clothes and examined them carefully, or strung their powerful bows. The Han soldiers beside the cannons gently lifted parts of the felt cloth, revealing the bronze cannons.

Yangguli dismounted and grabbed a handful of cold soil, rubbing it in his hands. He looked up towards the southeast, the direction of Beijing, and the direction in which the Great Khan was leading his army.

"It'll be soon..." he thought to himself. "Before dawn, this southern grassland will change hands."

Inside a side hall of Yonghe Palace.

When Chongzhen awoke, the sky outside the window was already faintly bright. He turned his head and looked at Yang Yujiao, who was still fast asleep beside him. She was sleeping soundly, her face flushed, and her breathing even. Her loose black hair spread across the pillow, making her pretty face even more beautiful.

Emperor Chongzhen noticed one of her firm arms protruding from under the brocade quilt, its lines beautiful, and couldn't help but recall her vibrant body from the previous night.
He rose quietly, without disturbing the beauty beside him. A palace maid silently entered to help him change his clothes.

After dressing, Chongzhen went to the bedside and glanced at the extraordinary beauty a few more times before stepping out of the palace. The crisp morning air invigorated him. Wang Chengen was already waiting outside.

“Your Majesty, breakfast has been prepared in the main hall of Yonghe Palace, and Consort Liu is waiting there,” Wang Chengen said. “Yang Qi from the Yang family has already submitted his nameplate. When would you like to summon him?”

Chongzhen nodded, said "I understand," and strode toward the main hall, his steps seemingly lighter than usual.

(End of this chapter)